.'
Despite a starring role from Joaquin Phoenix, the film faced opposition in the USA
Army of me
Truly great anti-war cult movies come along maybe once or twice in a generation.
BUFFALO SOLDIERS is such a rare beast.
hingx xtart l'rom a Placc. a Point ol- dark dcrixion. .»\
chr_\xalix ol‘ Bcrtolt Brccht'x linc l‘rom .lIoI/n'r
('oiirugc: ‘What \\ c could do \xith around ltcrc ix a good \xar.‘ Ra} liluood l.loitqllilt l’hocni\l xitx alonc in thc mcxx hall. hlcar} -c} cd. lull ol' xocial dixtancc. and around him a hunch ol' ['8 arm} gruntx pla} a gamc ol~ .’\mcrican loothall. 'l‘hcrc'x a long lltt‘ou. and lilxxood'x ga/c l‘olloxxx thc thing ohicct \\ith a narcotic laxcination. ’l‘hc prhatc \\ho catchcx it tripx and hangx hix hcad on thc xidc ol~ a lahlc. d} ing inxtantl). l"i\c minutcx into tltc lilm and \\c ha\ c ottr lirxt l‘atalit). a dcatlt in p|a_\timc. a dcath in pcacctimc.
What ix xo rclrcxliing ahout Hit/lulu Stilt/run ix thc lilth} irrmcrcncc that hcatx through itx \cinx. lt hax takcn t\\o _\carx to hc i‘clcaxcd ltcrc. al‘tcr hcing mct \\ ith conxcr\ati\ c outragc and diminixhing ho\ ol‘licc rcturnx in thc Statcx.
lt ix MB") in a l'S arm} haxc ncar Bcrlin. It ix not xo much pcacctimc ax thc laxt d_\ xl'unctional throcx ol' that m_\thic hcaxt. tltc cold \\ar. B} da_\. Ra) lil\\ood ix thc platoon clcrk to hix incpt hut caring commandcr. \Vallacc Bcrman ta hrilliant comic turn l‘rom lid llai't'ixl. B) night. lilxxood ix \xhat ix knoxx n ax a .xpccialixt: a hlack markctccr.
(‘uriotIx|_\. nothing ix madc ol‘ tltc tact that liluood ix l'or all intcntx and purpoxcx an undcruorld criminal \xith a ltixt lot drugx. xc\ and xclicincx. llix lil'c ix ax l‘urti\c ax it ix compclling. .-\.x a \ic\\cr. thix llil't\\\\ _\ott at l‘irxt. You arc waiting for that .xlicc ol‘ c\poxition that tcllx )ou lil\\ood ix actuall) an undcrcox cr cop \xho happcnx to hc a rccmcring narcoticx ahuxcr going xtraight hack into rchah \xhcn hix mixxion i.x complctcd. Luckil}. thc moralit) or lack ol‘ it
’or'isu Paul Dale
xta}x dcmonicall} unxliiltahlc and \cltcntcttll} tut:\ntcrican.
'l‘hix could. ol‘ courxc. ha\ c a lot to do \xith thc lilm hcing adaptcd lrom Rohcrt ()'('onnor'x hlcakl} l'unn} dchut no\ cl or that itx adaptcr \xax liric \Vcixx liltc xcrccnuritcr ol‘ that undcrratcd chongatlion Bulimia/cm. But it ix morc likcl} to do with it hcing dircctcd h} a _\otmgixh «Rm .'\llxle‘ dircctor callcd (ircgor Jordan. Jordan hax hccn \xorking on \xcird. outrc. xmall hudch mo\ icx xincc 1995 t’lim Hum/x ix hix moxt \xcll knoxxn lilml. \onc ol‘ thcm hax xccn thc light ol'da} hcrc (though hix nc\t lilm. .Vt't/ Kt'l/r ix duc tor a hig hudch dixtrihution o\cr ltcrc latcr in tltc )carl. (ircgor ix a lilm xt}|ixt \\ltoxc \xot‘k ix xtccpcd in tltc traditionx ol tltc paxt. iit particular thc \\ot‘l\ ol \lilox l‘ot‘tltttlt. carl} Rohcrt Altman and moxt notahl}. .\lil\c Nic‘liolx mhoxc lilm \crxion ol‘ (tltc/1 23. along \xith l)a\id () Rtixxcll'x ’l‘lirt't' Ringo arc thc ncarcxt lotlcltxlnltcx l‘Ul' [llix mm ic l.
\Vhat .lordan hax hrought to thc linc xhooting xcript h} \\cixx and Nora \laccoh} ix thc d} xpcptic dcxpair and Iouchc madncxx that touchcx all tltc grcat anti-\xar mo\ icx. l.ct ttx juxt gct a lcxx thingx xtraight: xcminal anti-uar mmicx do not hax c to hc xct in thc midxt ot' hattlc or mat in thc right uar. .ll .\ .\‘ 'II. a parod} ol thc lunac} ol' thc Victnam War. \\ ax xct in Korca. ()Ilt' I‘lt'u ()i't'r I/It' (lilt'AUHA .Vt'xl \\;tx xcl in a tttcnlal ltontc and tltc dadd) oi tltcttt all /)I‘ .S'mulg't'lm‘t'. \kax xct arguahl} dccp inxidc thc acid. l'ra}cd ca\ilicx ol xcrccnu ritcr 'lcz'i’) Southcrn'x hrain.
l’lutmut. gl/mcu/i/M‘ .Vrm'. (iti/li/m/i. King and ('niuitrjr and xodding ()/1 What u /.u\'('/_\’ lliir.’ do not c\cn hcgin to cut it ax poxxihlc cntrantx in thix moxt xcltliconocixing ol' gcnrcx.
'IT HAS A DYSPEPTIC DESPAIR AND LOUCHE MADNESS THAT TOUCHES ALL THE GREAT ANTI-WAR MOVIES'
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